Coercive institutions are essential components of authoritarian states and contribute to regime durability. However, variation in the internal structures of these institutions remains relatively unexplored. I argue that frequent intra-agency reforms of coercive institutions shape the incentives...

Machine generated contents note: 1. Introduction; 2. Policy, Institutions and Stability; 3. Policy Outcomes; 4. Food, Policy and Unrest; 5. Agricultural Rents and Regime Durability; 6. Germany, 1878 - 1890; 7. Malaysia, 1969 - 1980; 8. Conclusion.

Leaders of undemocratic regimes allow elections in order to co-opt powerful groups in society and secure their own grip on power. However, they do not allow fair elections. They manipulate the electoral system in order to over-represent the geographic areas, and the groups within them, to whom...

Theories of authoritarianism assert that autocratic governments follow repressive and redistributive policies which impede mass mobilization and mitigate economic grievances to prevent regime instability. However, policy formulation and implementation remain opaque and under-theorized elements...